Low Oil Light on New Engine

Q: Low Oil Light on New Engine

Just started the new motor in my 1968 bird. I am running a grind cam, hydraulic lifters, and a summit cheapy oil gauge. I have two problems. 1 there are 2 collapsed lifters that never pump up, and low oil pressure at idle (if the gauge is good).

1. Would a bad lifter cause low oil pressure? or vice versa? 2. What else could I have done wrong on the assembly? are there any oil plugs that I don’t know about?

A: I don’t know if this is your problem but it is one thing to look for from my experience. I put a new cam in my 350. After this I had verrrrry low oil pressure (5 PSI at idle) for about 300 miles. I talked a guy at my local speed shop and he said that I probably scratched a cam bearing when I installed it (which I probably did because I did not use an installation tool like one should). He also said that after break in the oil pressure should come back. He was right. The car is now running good oil pressure.

I’m by far not an expert but I don’t think a collapsed lifter would cause low oil pressure but I’d think that low oil pressure could cause a collapsed lifter.

I can’t think of any oil plugs or anything else that could cause low pressure. My guess is that you have a scratched cam bearing.

A: Your lifters may not be bad. They may not have been properly primed before you installed them. Before you disassemble your motor try this:

1) Completely loosen your non-oiling rockers
2) Use the push rods like a straw and with a pump style oil can, fill the push rod with oil.
3) Oil the rocker and reassemble then adjust your lash (do not torque them down at this point).
4) Start your motor and allow it to run.
5) If the lifters are OK it should start to pump oil (if the rockers clatter, adjust until quiet).
6) As the motor warms the rocker will start to clatter, adjust until the clatter stops.
7) repeat step (6) until the stud nut bottoms out.
8) Re-torque to 20 ft-lbs.

This worked for me when I had a couple of non-oiling lifters on a stored motor. Good luck.

A: I had the same problem and discovered that the oil gallery plugs had been removed when the block was cleaned. There are two behind the timing chain cover at the end of the lifter galleries and one in the at the back of the block. The rear plug is a screw in type located behind an expansion plug. The condition described exactly matches the problem I had once I had discovered/installed the front plugs, but not the rear. The engine would run, but the last two lifters just would not pump up.

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